Assigrnob to westinghotjse elec



Sept. 4, 1928. 1,683,351

H. T. HERR A SHAFT BEARING Filed Feb. l0. 1922 H.T.Herr

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

y HERBERT T. `HVERR, OF MERION, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO-WESTINGIIOUSE ELEC- TRIO & MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

Ay CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SHAFT BEARING.

Application filed February -machines which are axially alined and directly connected, and it has for an objectthe provision of apparatus of the character designated, which shall serve to eliminate one of the bearings, and the flexible coupling usually employed in such machines.

In .the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a side view, partially in section and partially in elevation, of an organization embodying inyiinvention; Fig. 2 is a detailed sectional view on the line II-II of Fig. l; and Figs. 3 and 4 are detailed sectional views showing modifications of my device.

,The shafts of alined and directly connected machines, such, for example, as turbine-driven electrical generators, are usually supported in four, rigidly mounted bearings, two for each machine. As the expansion of the two machines under the temperature rise caused by their operation is frequently unequal, these bearings are often forced out of alinement; this being espepecially true in a turbo-generator, in which case the mis-alinementis accentuated by reason of the greater expansion of the high pressure end than the low pressure end of the turbine. To compensate for this misalinement a flexible coupling is usually provided between the shafts of the two machines.

Such an arrangement not only adds considerably to the overall length of the apparatus,

but the use of two intermediate bearings and the flexible coupling considerably increases the cost thereof.

I have provided, by my invention, an apparatus in which the combined shafts of the two machines are supported in three bearings, one of which is floating and the other two of which are'iixed, so that one of the usually employed intermediate shaft bearings, and the flexible coupling are eliminated, and at the same time compensation is provided for any mis-alinement of the shafts. Still other structural features of my invention will be apparent from the `subjoined description.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, I show a steam turbine 10, provided with a shaft 11, driving the shaft 12 of an electric generator 13. The shafts 11 and 12 are rigidly cou-l pled in axial alinement by any well-known means, such as by the flanged coupling 14.

10, 1922. SerialvNo. 535,527.

The sha-ft 11 is supported at `the ends of the turbine 10 by the bearings 16 and 17, of any suitable type. The bearing 15 also acts as a support for the coupled end of the generator shaft 12, the coupling 14 connecting the shafts 11 and 12 with sufficient rigidity to permit of this arrangement.

The outer end of the shaft 12 is supported in a specially mounted floating bearing 17. As shown, this bearing 17 is mounted in bearing block 18, adapted to slide vertically vin a pair,Vv of guides 19, carried by abifurcated pedestal 20. The bearing block 1Sy is provided with suitable grooves 21 to cooperate with the guides 19. The weight of the bearing block 18, and the parts supported thereby, is carried by a helical compression spring 22, adapted to bearbetween an abutment 23 on the lower face of the block 1S, and an abutment 24 on the lower portion of the pedestal 20, located between the halves of the divided portion thereof.

It is apparent that the resilient support for the free end of the shaft 12, which is provided by the spring mounting of the bearing 17, will permit slight movement of this bearing, thus compensating for any mis-alinement between it and the bearings 15 and 16. In this manner, the load on the free end of the shaft 12 is sustained without the imposition of any undue stresses on any of the bearings, while the overall length of the machine is considerably reduced, and one guide bearing and the expensive coupling are eliminated.

In the modification of my device illustrated in Fig. 3 I have shown the bearing 17 provided with a downwardly projecting plunger member 26, adapted to cooperate in fluid-tight relation with a cylindrical chamber 27, formed in the lower portion of the pedestal 20. A duct 28, communicating with the lower end of the chamber 27, is connected to any suitable source of fiuid under pressure, so that the resulting pressure in the chamber 27 forces the flange 26 upward to sustain the weight of the bearing 17, in a manner readily understood. Oil from the turbine lubricating system provides a convenient fluid forl this purpose, but it is to be understood that any suitable fiuid, such as water, may be employed.

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a modification of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 in whichv the bearing block 18 is provided with a depending rod 29 carrying at its lower end a piston 3l, operating in a dash pot 32. The dash pot 32 is filled with any suitable tluid, such as oil, and the pist-on 3l is provided with a duct 33 ot relatively small cross section, so that motion o' the piston 31 within the dash pot 32 is retarded. In this manner, vibration of the supporting spring 22 is dampened, as will be readily understood.

l'Vhile I have shown my invention in several forms, it Willbe obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not limited, but is susceptible ot various other changes and modilications without departing 'from the spirit thereof, and l desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are speciir cally set l'ortli in the appended claims.

What l claim is:

l. In an organization comprising a pair of shafts, ined bearings for one of the shafts, a rigid coupling connecting the shafts end to end in power transmitting relation, a bearing resiliently supporting the other end of the second shaft, and means restricting mo tion of the movable bearing to a vertical plane, whereby the alinement of said bearings is maintained.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a pair of aligned shafts, fixed bearings for one of said shafts, a rigid coupling for connecting in power `transmitting relation the adjacent ends of the two shafts, a yield-ably mounted bearing for the end of the other o't' said shafts opposite to the rigid coupling, and means for restricting the motion of the yieldable mounted bearing to a plane transverse to the longi tudinal axis of the shaft.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed .my name this 7 th day ot'February, 1922. i

HERBERT T. HERR. 

